Girdle having comfort waist



.M y 0, 1969 o. ERTESZE'K 3,444,362

GIRDLE HAVING COMFORT WAIST Filed Dec. 22. 1966 INK/EH70? 01.60 ERTESZEK United States Patent 3,444,862 GIRDLE HAVING COMFORT WAIST Olga Erteszek, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Olga Company, Van Nuys, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 603,863 Int. Cl. A41c 1/02 US. Cl. 128--528 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A girdle construction having a localized tensional relief feature in the girdle body portion generally about the abdomen by provision, illustratively, of a lightweight, limp and relatively inelastic material at such portion, below the waistband at the midriff of the wearer.

This invention has to do with improvements in elasticized girdles and has particular reference to provisions for more complete wearer comfort in the region of the diaphragm.

Girdles, to youthful wearers, whose figures have not reached the fullness of maturity, are primarily means for supporting stockings and firming the hips, including the buttocks, in appropriate contour. The accumulation of avoirdupois about the waist and concomitant slackness of abdominal musculature has not yet occurred in the youthful figure.

Confinement of the youthful wearer then about and just below the waist is unnecessary and, often, uncomfortable as well, if an untoward constriction of the diaphragm results. Moreover, the lean, teen-age type midriff appears particularly sensitive to wide, unyieldingly rigid waistband constructions which do not roll with the flesh in transition from standing to sitting and other movements.

The invention has for its general object to provide means in a girdle construction to ensure comfort about the wearers waist by elimination of the discomforting factors noted above. Generally speaking, this objective is realized in accordance with the invention by localized relief of confining tension in the girdle body portion about the abdomen, as for example by provision of an insert at such portion of a lightweight, limp and relatively inelastic material. Such insert affords local relief, for example, in a girdle body having a waistband and generally constituted of elastic fabric adapted to confine the hips and abdomen of the wearer, in extending vertically above the abdomen to the waistband and circularly of the body, at the midriff or diaphragm of the wearer.

The waistband typically will function to locate the girdle for proper Wear and to support the insert material. In certain practical embodiments the degree of confinement desired directly over the abdominal vault will be greater than that required on either side thereof in accordance with natural body contours, so that the abdomen confining portions of the girdle elastic fabric will extend vertically closer to the waistband directly above the abdomen than on either side thereof to correspondingly reduce the vertical extent of the insert. Insert materials will generally be inelastic and woven. Leg portions extending from the girdle body as continuations of its fabric may be provided in certain preferred embodiments for mounting stocking supports and restraining the garment against upward pull.

All the features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment shown by the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an illustrative girdle construction embodying the invention; and

3,444,862 Patented May 20, 1969 FIG. 2 is a similar view from the rear.

In reference to the drawings, other than with respect to the localized tensional relief feature about the diaphragm, the girdle may be of conventional construction and compirse a body portion 10 formed of sections 11 sewn together along a rear vertical and central seam 12 running from a waistband 13 down to a conventional crotch insert 14. The invention contemplates formation of the sections 11 entirely or partially of elastic fabric at least at portions thereof adapted to confine the hips and abdomen of the wearer so that absent and confining tension relieving insert afforded by the invention, the fabric would tend to confine the diaphragm portion of the wearers body vertically below the waistband 13 and circularly therefrom toward the wearers hips. Typically, the body of the garment is shown to be formed of full elasticized sections 11 made of conventional elastic fabric such as stretch nylon, spandex or rubberized fabric stretchable both vertically and horizontally, the sections being extended below the crotch to form leg portions 15 as continuations of the body fabric, illustratively bordered with an inelastic fabric 15a for purposes as will appear.

As particularly indicated in FIG. 1, in the garment body portion above the abdomen, the invention provides an insert of lightweight, limp and relatively inelastic material 16 extending vertically below the waistband 13 and circularly of the garment body to locally relieve confining tension in that portion. As shown, the elastic fabric is cut away over the abdominal vault and replaced by the insert 16 which is sewn into the garment body along seam 17 and secured to the waistband at 18. The insert material is generally a woven panel of nonstretch fibers, e.g., of rayon, nylon, Dacron or the like but may be of nonwoven fibrous or sheet material. The circular extent of the insert in the garment is generally across the full front width of the girdle as illustrated. This extent typically will be somewhat less than the insert length so that the panel will appear gathered, particularly at the waistband.

While the insert 16 may be rectangular, it is preferred, in order to enable a maximum degree of figure shaping, while affording a comfort waist to contour the elastic fabric in sections 11 to provide increased amounts of confining material in areas requiring such. Thus, the abdomen of the wearer generally is desirably restrained from undue convexity and adjacent areas between the hips and abdomen are normally planar or only slightly convex. Therefore, the elastic fabric is desirably accordingly shaped as is illustrated in FIG. 1 where the abdomen covering portion of the girdle, indicated at 19, rises more toward the waistband 13 than do laterally adjacent portions 20. In conformance to the undulating pattern of the elastic fabric, the insert 16 is illustrated to be of varying and symmetrical vertical extent below the waistband in its circular reach about the wearers body. Specifically at garment portions 20, laterally immediately adjacent the abdomen supporting portion 19, there is provided a greatly increased vertical extent of insert material, relative to the abdomen confining portion 20 where the elastic fabric of the garment body extends vertically closer to the waistband 13 directly above the abdomen than on either side thereof corresponding to a reduced vertical extent of the insert at such position. Whatever the relative vertical extent of the insert panel, the waistband 13, typically a radially stretchable fabric band, is conveniently employed to support the same against the wearers body. A further comfort feature is accorded the wearer of the present girdle in that the double thickness of elasticized fabric, composed of the edge of sections 11 and the waistband 13 which is relatively unyielding to the flesh is eliminated in the midriff region. Instead the soft insert material is joined to the waistband with a resultant ease of stretch and give akin to a panty waist.

For increased wearer comfort the leg enclosing portions can terminate in a bond 15a of lightweight, limp and relatively inelastic material, the same as or similar to the insert 16 material to provide a smooth transition from elasticized fabric to flesh in this region and to better conceal the contour of stocking supports, if any, positioned within such leg portions.

In use, the generally elastic body of the girdle confines the hips and abdomen of the wearer and whereas in a typical girdle construction the elastic fabric would rise above the abdomen to the waistband and produce confining tension about the midrifi of the wearer, such tension is locally relieved in the midrifif region and double layers of elasticized fabric avoided by provision of an insert of lightweight, limp and relatively inelastic material and a corresponding reduction in the elastic fabric in this region. As the wearer bends at the waist the normally coincident undulation of the flesh is easily and unrestrictedly accommodated beneath the soft and nonconfining insert fabric with consequent enhancement of wearer comfort about the waist.

I claim:

1. A girdle including a body of elastic fabric adapted to confine the hips and abdomen of the wearer and having an elastic waistband, said fabric being cut away above the abdomen, and an insert of lightweight, limp and relatively inelastic material extending vertically between the waistband and said fabric and circularly of the body to locally relieve confining tension in said girdle adjacent the waistband.

2. A girdle according to claim 1 in which said waistband supports said insert about the midriff of the wearer and across substantially the front of the girdle.

3. A girdle according to claim 2 in which the abdomen confining portion of the elastic fabric of said body extends vertically closer to said waistband directly above the abdomen than on either side thereof to correspondingly reduce the vertical extent of said insert. 7

4. A girdle according to claim 3 in which said insert comprises inelastic woven material.

5. A girdle according to claim 4 having leg portions extending from said body as continuations of said fabric.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,719,974 10/1955 Blatt 128-580 3,080,869 3/ 1963 Alberts 128-642 3,153,416 10/1964 Cuozzi 128528 3,324,857 6/1967 Froehlich 128-535 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 128-556 

